November 2012 Beauty Favorites

I figure the first post back should be a favorites. It has been a while, but I have really been using a lot of the same products since the colder weather has hit my area and doesn't seem to want to quit. :)

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Cream Foundation- I discovered this when I was looking for a good, inexpensive alternative to my Laura Mercier Silk Cream Foundation. I love the coverage of it and it feels very lightweight. It also blends beautifully into the skin. I find it to be quite buildable which is good for the redness in my cheeks and the acne that has developed on my chin and mouth area.

Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara- This mascara is a great mascara for every day. It is very natural looking which is good for work or school. I've never had a problem with it smudging and it makes me look like I have so many lashes. I adore it.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed- I am obsessed with this blush. I have worn it almost every day for two months now. Since it is getting warmer I have been wearing more of a dark lip and because of it I like the toned down eyes a cheeks. This is perfect and if I don't want to use a separate contour this works beautifully for that on me as well.

theBalm Mary LouManizer Highlighter- I love, love, love this highlighter. It is a bit glittery so you have to be extremely careful with applying it, but it gives the most beautiful glow. My skin is dry but gets exceptionally dry in the colder months so this gives me the look of wonderfully hydrated skin.

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm- Again, since my skin gets really dry in the colder months so do my lips. I love this lip balm. It is extremely hydrating and I feel like it really helps the health of my lips. It does have an SPF of 25 too so that is an added bonus.

Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie- I can't exactly pull off red lips well, or at least I don't think I do, but this is a great deep purplish pink that can come off red. I love the way it looks and it has been my go-to for a bold lip.

Urban Decay Naked Pallet- I am a big fan of both of the Naked Pallets, but I usually grab the Naked2 more frequently. Lately I have been loving a look from the original Naked pallet for every day. I have been wearing Half Baked all over the lid and I put Buck in the crease. If I want a little more drama I will also use Darkhorse to deepen the crease or outer v area of my eye.


What is your staple makeup product for the winter time?
xoxo Colleen

June Beauty Favorites

So this month I didn't really wear a lot of makeup at all. I stuck to mainly tinted moisturizer, eye liner, mascara, and some sort of cream shadow. I am all about ease since it has been super hot and humid where I live.

• Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer- I have been wearing this with some translucent powder to set it and it is working pretty well for me. I usually want some more coverage, but I have been liking the tinted moisturizer on its own.
• Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes- I am in love with these eyeliners. I love the texture, pigmentation and, most of all, the fact that they are waterproof. I am loving wearing the purple or the blue around my eyes and some mascara. It is fun for summer and so easy to do. 

• Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara- I fell in love with the original formula of this when it first came out so I picked up the waterproof version. I love that is makes my lashes look really full, but they also stay soft. It looks really natural and I like that for during the day.
• MAC MSF in Soft and Gentle- I love this to add a great glow to my skin. I have been loving it so much in conjunction with my tinted moisturizer. It makes me look more alive and glowy.

My favorite drugstore mascaras!

I love mascara. It is the one thing I always have to wear no matter what. I have extremely light lashes, but they are very long so I love volumizing black mascaras. I just feel that they make my eyes pop.

 This is the newest addition to my collection and my newest obsession. It has a huge brush so it coats all my lashes so well. I absolutely love how long a curl lasts with this and how the mascara wears throughout the day.

Maybelline is one of my favorite brands and this mascara is a big reason why. I love the curved brush and the bristles get into ever corner of my eyes to give great coverage on my lashes. It lasts all day and is the blackest mascara I have ever used.

This is my all time favorite mascara. The brush is big but super simple. The base of my lashes looks super thick when I use this mascara. It is waterproof too so it holds a curl really well and lasts the whole day. I absolutely love this mascara more than any other one.

Spring Must Haves 2012

I am totally in love with spring. It is one of my favorite times of the year and have been waiting for it for months. These are the products I will be using throughout the spring and into the beginning of the summer:

• Physicians Formula shimmer strips bronzer in Las Vegas Strip- I am obsessed with all things Las Vegas since I am going there in May, but this is an amazing bronzer to add a little shimmer to your face. I will sometimes use the lighter colors for a highlight too. 
• Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface- I love the pink color for the spring time. It is just light and will last forever which is good with the warmer weather
• NYC Bronzer in Sunny- this is the best bronzer I have to contour with. I love the look it gives me
• Urban Decay shadow in Naked- This is my best friend shade and I like to wear it alone to define the crease and make my eyes look a little bit bigger.
• MUFE HD Foundation in 120- this is my new shade for the spring. I am a bit darker and although most people don't like to wear foundation in warmer weather I prefer the full coverage look.
• Urban Decay All Nighter Spray- This is a staple all year. This makes my makeup last so long.
• MAC MSF in Soft and Gentle- wonderful highlight to add a wonderful glow. It makes my skin look so dewy. 
• Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in RSVP- I love this. It makes my eye look so quick and effortless. I just love these
• Colored Eyeliner- the combination of this on the lower lash line and RSVP on my lid is beautiful. Great for a pop of color.
• NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Golden Pink- Again I love pink for spring. This is a great shade of pink. It is bright with a bit of simmer that really makes your lips shine.
• MAC Lip Stick in Ravishing- I bought this a few weeks ago and I am in love. This is a wonderful coral color that works so well with my skin tone. 
• Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer in Light- This is a wonderful lightweight concealer that is perfect for the undereye area. 
• L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black- Best mascara ever. It makes my lashes look full and dark, but not fake. 
• MAC Lip Stick in Vegas Volt- Another Las Vegas product that I adore. It is super bright and a little overwhelming, but if I blot and layer gloss over it, it is perfect.
• Buxom Lip Gloss in Debbie- This is the perfect gloss to dull down Vegas Volt. It is my favorite spring time lip combo. 

These are my go to products for the spring and I adore each of them. There may be more with the new collections to come out. 

March Beauty Favorites!

This month has been a good one for me. I have finally found a make up routine that works for me and I am thrilled. These are some new products I have been absolutely loving this month.

• Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser in Light- I love this concealer. I was using Benefit's Erase Paste, but the creamy consistency to it tended to cake a little under my eyes and it slipped a little throughout the day. The Maybelline Eraser is so lightweight that it doesn't sink into the wrinkles and stays put all day. It is very pigmented and my dark circles are so much more less noticeable when I use this concealer.
• MAC Eyeshadow in Honey Lust- I have been eying this shadow for the longest time. It is a beautiful gold-ish color with glitter in it and I absolutely love wearing it all over my lid. There is a little fallout, but I can deal with it since the color is absolutely fantastic and it feels so smooth on my lid.
• MAC Lipglass in Julia (from the Marcel Wanders 2 collection)- This is the best pink lip gloss I have. I can't believe how beautiful and pigmented this lip gloss is. I wish it was permanent because when I use this up I know I will be extremely upset. It isn't too sticky and the shimmer in it is subtle, but is noticeable.
• MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle- I finally joined everyone in loving this product. I have only had it for about 2 weeks, but in that time I have fallen in love with the way this highlights my cheeks. I have a very round face and this helps when I contour my face to give the illusion of higher cheek bones and a glowing complexion. 
• Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface- This is the perfect pink blush for the spring. It also doesn't make me look to flush since my face is normally very red. My foundation definitely covers the redness, but the blush helps to keep it at bay by only showing this color on my cheeks.

Going on a Trip: My long weekend getaway makeup necesseties

I am going away next week for a long weekend to Vermont and I figured this would be the perfect time to do a travel makeup guide. This will be a compilation of the products I feel are necessary for my makeup needs.

• Makeup Forever HD Foundation (I am in shade 117)- Since it is so cold and windy in the area of Vermont I will be in I need a hydrating foundation that has a lot of coverage. My face is red enough as it is, so anything I can use to cover that so only redness from the cold and wind show through is perfect
• Rimmel Stay Matte Translucent Powder- Best powder to set my makeup. I use it mostly for my concealer though.  
• Urban Decay All Nighter- This is a must have no matter where I am going or what I am doing. I love this setting spray and I don't really need a primer when I use it with the MUFE foundation. 
• Benefit Erase Paste- My favorite concealer. It covers my dark circles so well, which is good for the long nights out I will be enjoying. 
• Urban Decay Primer Potion- No brainer. 
• Urban Decay Naked2 Pallet- I love this pallet so much. It is perfect for every day looks and since I will need a look to go from day to night this will be the perfect pallet to bring with me. I love the combination of Bootycall all over the lid with Tease in the crease. To amp this up for night all I do is add Busted to the outer corner. 
• Lush Lip Scrub in Sweet Lips & EOS lip balm- This is what I need to keep my lips from getting chapped and cracked. The combination of the scrub and the balm are perfect for amazingly soft lips.
• Maybelline Baby Lips in Grape Vine- This provides SPF, moisture and a little bit of color. I don't have to worry about reapplying lip color and I don't need a mirror for it. The Baby Lips are effortless and since I will be spending a lot of time outdoors it is perfect for my trip. 
• L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara- The best mascara ever. It lasts all day and doesn't flake. It makes my lashes look full and long and I just love it. 
• Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero- Best eyeliner ever. Period.

I am super excited for my trip and I can't wait to see how all of this works out for me. I also get to try the Naked2 pallet and see if it is the one I want to bring with my when I go to Vegas in May. I am pretty much having an all out battle between Naked and Naked2.

Review: Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoo Eye Shadows

At first I wasn't impressed with these shadows, but the more I use them the more I like them. I am still a little wary of them because I have had some difficulty with the application of them, but all in all they are pretty good.

Left to right: Tough as Taupe, Too Cool, Audacious Asphalt

My favorite is definitely Tough as Taupe. It applies so smoothly and it a very unique color. I love that it can be purple, gray, and taupe depending on what you wear it with and that I love. Too Cool is the one that has given me the most problems application wise. It gets a little clumpy and applies sporadically on the lid and when swatched. Audacious Asphalt is a dark color that I don't use very often but I like that I have a dark base when I want to do a smokey eye look.  

Left to right: Tough as Taupe, Too Cool, Audacious Asphalt

I think these three are the only ones I am going to keep in my collection. None of the other colors stood out to me and I prefer the Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows over these.